DTSA prepares to launch at BEW, Washington DC
Celebrating Digital Transformation, Supplier Diversity enroute to a Net Zero Future.
“there is measure in all things” _ RICS Motto
After several months of tireless and unwavering, informed and hugely constructive dialogue, initially with the UK’s Department of Business & Trade (hereon referred to as 'DBT’), stemming from my role as a Board Member of the London Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI). It is rather humbling (to know and share) that a new chapter of commercial opportunity and growth has presented itself in the 🇬🇧/ 🇺🇸 Digital Construction space; in partnership and collaboration with a number of US based Govt entities, led by the Department of Energy & Environment (hereon referred to as DOEE) and the Building Innovation Hub (hereon referred to as 'BIH').
As an active Board Member of the LCCI, I would also like to highlight that the MoU executed with the DC Chamber has been designed to help London based firms access the DC, Virginia and Maryland markets; serving both the security and defence sectors alongside professional and financial services firms, who will all benefit from its presence.s
"Additionally, several “Salon” discussions with the USCIB which is focused on globalisation, have also taken place and progressing well. The LCCI and USCIB are looking to produce a joint report, which will bring those key and critical discussions together around the themes of global cities, trade, young people, shared values and the promotion of liberal democracy" _ London Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Credit: DBT / BIH
Building on the presence of the MoU executed between the DC Chamber and the London Chamber (in December 2022) and with less than a week to go, I am / we are are excited to announce my imminent trip to Washington DC - to launch 🚀 the Digital Twin Skills Academy CIC, hereon referred to as the DTSA. The DTSA will speak to and encompass the values and spirit of the Biden-Harris Administration’s ‘Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill (2022)’ and the emerging and innovative EIP initiative, which maintains a focus on structural transformation within and across the US public sector procurement process, amidst the underlying digital skills gap with progressive diversification of commercial opportunity.
Credit: EIP
“EIP was founded by Denver International Airport CEO Phillip A. Washington, former US Deputy Secretary of Transportation John D. Porcari and others in anticipation of the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and to advance President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative and his executive order 13985 on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities pledging to increase by 2026 the share of federal contracts that go to small and disadvantaged businesses. Our work is supported by Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs, Social Impact Fund, HNTB, STV, Anser Advisory, The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and The James Irvine Foundation.” _ Source: EIP
With regards this critical milestone of progress, celebrated in pursuit of a sector-wide UK first in the form of an ‘IP - Trade Agreement for Digital Construction’, to date, and following the London riots, it’s been a tortuous 12year journey to get to this point, further exacerbated by the pandemic, who’s paradigm shift towards an organised yet remote workforce, has literally unlocked the business-case for new data-driven business models and agile ways of working within and across the global construction sector. In recognition of the above, I am extending personal, sincere and unconditional thanks to both my DC and UK based DBT colleagues, who have brought visibility and accessibility to market opportunities in the US; which have since opened up, resulting in a unique and first of its kind partnership, between the DTSA and the BIH, based in DC.
As a London based, grassroots, multifaceted, social value ‘not-for-profit’ initiative, inspired by my ‘wider’ body of work at DiverseCity Surveyors [since 2005], the DTSA is an attempt to up-skill the ‘global construction sector’ to unlock and fully appreciate the value proposition and evolution of the built environment into a ‘system of systems’. Led and driven by a diverse talent pool of industry professionals that are proficient in the design, assembly and delivery of construction projects using (at their core) intelligent, agile, data-driven business models; the scope for ‘industry engagement, learning, and knowledge sharing, via thought-leadership’ wrt the DTSA, is huge and growing.
The principal objective behind the DTSA is completely aligned to our strapline “creating the talent pool that the industry doesn’t know it needs” - and the DTSA seeks to help, support and guide all stakeholders – wherever they reside within the value chain. Across the built environment (as well as new industry talent and participants) all actors, now embarking upon a journey of digital competence, will be able to gain access to a growing body of work [i.e. knowledge based collateral] in the digital construction space; delivered in partnership with colleagues over at BIM Academy [UK].
With an unapologetic focus on digital construction, building safety, decarbonisation, retro-fit and green, hard and soft skills, alongside 'digital cost management' (via my industry initiative #PQS2030) the support from the (UK) Construction Industry Council – where I lead as Chairman of the DEI Committee – is both welcomed and gratefully received.
At the DTSA, our unapologetic focus on young people (i.e. the Next Generation) is designed to inspire, help foster and simultaneously grow the inter-generational conversation too. From our experience and with access to an immersive gaming engine - the entirety of our offer is largely focussed on professional development, thought-leadership and value creation, in the leaner delivery of construction projects.
On behalf of my small [but growing] team at the DTSA, and along with our Partners (please take a look at our partner page; link here) I/we truly look forward to establishing a presence in the USA 🇺🇸 with an initial focus on the DC area and specifically our evolving, global partnership with the Building Innovation Hub.
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